Question

How do I find the DOI for my article so I can put it in the citation?

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Answered By: Linda Kern

Last Updated: Dec 12, 2016Views: 8360

Hello!

Not every article has a DOI. First I would try the citation generator on the database where I found the article. On an EBSCOhost database such as Academic Search Complete, on the search results, click on the article title. This will take you to information about the article. In the right side toolbar, click on the cite button. On a ProQuest database such as Research Library, on the results list, click the little box to the left of number of the article. Then click cite in the blue toolbar above the results.

If there is no DOI there, I would look at the first page of the PDF of the article.

Next, google the journal.Sometimes the journal's website will have the DOI.

If it's not there give up. Instead, paste the URL (web address) into the reference entry after the page numbers. For example:

Author, A. (2010). How to find a doi number. The Journal of Citing Sources, 8(1). 38-48. Retrieved from http://www.ThisIsTheJournalWebsite.com

Note that you don't use the page where the article is actually located. It is the journal's web page listing the archive of the various issues. This page is less likely to change over time.